From the Desk of Dr. Len

Natural Approach to Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis

According to mainstream medicine, the cause of Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis is unknown and the only remedy for all that irritation in your gut is a medication.

But maybe the cause and solution are associated to your diet.Think about it, if almost every time you eat, your tummy gets inflamed – wouldn’t you at least look at your diet as being a suspect?

The most common irritants to all these digestive problems are milk-products, such as pasteurized milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, along with wheat (gluten), corn, soy, coffee, MSG and artificial sweeteners.Now, I’m not saying they are bad for you, but like the sun, too much sun will irritate your skin and make you want to avoid it for a while.

Well the same is true with what’s irritating your tummy - along with the fact we eat on the run, in the car, too much protein – not enough hydrochloric acid, take too many antibiotics and birth control pills, etcetera.

Simply put, our diet has made the intestinal lining of our gut hyper-sensitive.Think of it this way, if every time you ate one of the offending foods you received a punch in the arm.By the end of the day and week, you might have a pretty sore arm!

What I’m trying to share with all those who suffer with Irritable Bowel problems is that you have to quit getting punched in the proverbial arm (belly) every day. You have to take ALL these offending foods out of your diet for a short while.How much better do you think your arm will feel if you only got punched once or twice in a 2-week span?Versus getting punched once or twice a day?The same rational is true for your gut.How much better do you think your gut will function if you only irritate your tummy once or twice over a two week period?

Yes you may be sensitive or allergic to pickles and cucumbers, but how often do you eat pickles in a week versus coffee, dairy, wheat, corn, etcetera?

How many of us start our morning off with some type of grain (wheat, corn, gluten) cereal or bread (muffin, bagel, biscuit, toast), along with some milk or coffee…than for lunch have a sandwich, bun or slice of something?Or finish with more of the same.

It was Einstein who said, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again, in hopes for a different result.An Elimination Diet is probably your first and most important step.But let’s not forget the possibility that some of your digestive problems could be caused by you not allowing your digestive system to turn-on when you eat.I’m talking about eating on the go, in a hurry, in the car, etc.

We also probably need to pay attention to good food combining principles, because foods are just like people and marriage.Some food (people) simply don’t work well with other foods!

On top of that we might need to look at possible yeast, fungus, candida cleanse, along with the support of digestive enzymes and probiotics as we work to restore normal function back to your digestive system.

There you have it.Simple and Easy!Simple Yes!Easy, that’s another question, because some of you haven’t or can’t figure out how to eat all the beef, chicken, fish, eggs, veggies, nuts and seeds for the next two weeks – without eating any of the offending foods.I hope that helps and gives you hope, but it will take your commitment.

Health Quizzes

Is stress throwing off your metabolism and causing fatigue, weight gain, cravings, hormonal imbalances, etc. Your body can ONLY handle so much stress! Check to see if your problems could be a result of too much stress.

If your digestive system is not functioning properly, how do you expect to nourish and strengthen your body. All that irritation and inflammation is a further stress on your adrenal glands. Check to see if you are absorbing the nutrients in your diet and supplements.

Do you accumulate or eliminate toxins? Internal pollution, due to constipation, diarrhea, a sluggish liver and lymphatic system causes a build-up of toxins that can have a huge negative impact on your health. Test to see if your elimination system is part of your problem.

Has your metabolism shifted? Are you burning fats or carbs and lean muscle? Are you staying in your ‘fat-burning’ zone 24/7? You can never get the weight off or overcome fatigue if you’re constantly burning carbs and lean muscle!